# Man gets stolen Vette back...37 years later! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 18, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530 "2006-01-18T18:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/1 "2006-01-18T18:11:55Z")
A 1968 Corvette stolen from Alan Poster’s garage in Queens, NY, on Jan.22 1969, was recovered in California being loaded on a container ship bound to Sweden. Since Poster’s insurance didnt cover theft and was never compensated, he was entitled to get it back as the rightful owner. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/2 "2006-01-18T18:21:24Z")
Cool! Any word what kind of sape/how many miles were on it? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/3 "2006-01-18T18:33:48Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Cool! Any word what kind of sape/how many miles were on it? I saw it on the news briefly. It looked fine. I’ll bet that guy is on cloud nine! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/4 "2006-01-18T18:41:30Z")
[Link to the story](http://news.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=43ce83a105033d96&ei=r4vOQ7D8HKy2FfaKtIQL&url=http%3A//abcnews.go.com/GMA/story%3Fid%3D1515055&cid=1103572098&sig2=ZYAnQvwODyeZxkmv_svVvw). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/5 "2006-01-18T18:42:38Z")
So how did the illegitimate owners manage to license and drive it? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/6 "2006-01-18T19:29:35Z")
Sounds like it was never titled or insured in those 37 years. The ABC article says it had been upgraded with a big-block engine and a stolen transmission. The fuel tank is missing, but that may be more for safety in shipping. Other than not being the original color, it looks to be in great shape. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > So how did the illegitimate owners manage to license and drive it? Illegitimately, of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/7 "2006-01-18T19:36:22Z")
I have a local story that can top 37 years. It’s only a wallet, not a Corvette, though. I’d post a link, but the site requires registration, so here’s an abbreviared quote: > [@](#): > > **Idaho woman’s lost wallet found - 56 years later** > A woman who lost her wallet 56 years ago has had it returned to her after it was found behind a movie theater concession stand during cleaning. > > (snip) > > Christian said he found the wallet about two months ago when a work crew was cleaning out the area behind a concession stand to install new wallboard at the Nuart Theater. A work crew member tried to throw the wallet away, but Christian opened it anyway. > > The wallet probably fell through a crack into a storage room behind concession stand, Christian said. > > He turned in the wallet to the sheriff’s department, where he works as a deputy, but said he was determined to find its owner. He consulted friends, and with some help, found out that Vestle Michelson had married Darwin Wixom. > > (snip) > > Wixom was amazed to have the wallet returned to her after it had been missing for so long. > > “After all these years, I’d even forgotten about losing it,” Wixom said. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/8 "2006-01-18T19:47:28Z")
> [@ABC Story](#): > > He also plans to give it to another eager young driver with the same name — his teenage daughter. The poor girl’s name is _Alan?!?_ Oh, the inhumanity! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/9 "2006-01-18T23:38:56Z")
Originally Posted by ABC Story He also plans to give it to another eager young driver with the same name — his teenage daughter. :smack: Classic 68 Vette with a 454? Teenage girl? It would be better off in Sweden! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/10 "2006-01-19T13:37:52Z")
This was huge news here, as the owner was a New Yorker, and the NYC police worked hard to track him down. The car is worth about $100,000 now, though this one would probably fetch much more. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-gets-stolen-vette-back-37-years-later/340530/11 "2006-01-19T14:09:53Z")
So, the buyer in Sweden, who had just purchased a vintage 1968 Vette in mint condition for $10,000 had _no idea_ that the car might be stolen. :dubious: Riiiiiiiight… I do love the outcome of the story, though! But late 60’s Vettes run around €30,000 and upwards for a fair example around here, and €70,000 for a mint one is not unheard of. The Swedish buyer must have been aware he was buying stolen goods. This is not the sort of purchase one does without research, after all.